What You Need To Know

Tanga is both the name of the most northerly port city of Tanzania on the west of the Indian Ocean, and the surrounding Tanga Region. It is the Regional Headquarters of the region. It is a quiet city compared to, for example, Arusha or Moshi with a comparable number of inhabitants. The city of Tanga sits on the Indian Ocean, near the border with Kenya. Major exports from the port of Tanga include sisal, coffee, tea, and cotton. Tanga is also an important railroad terminus, connecting much of the northern Tanzanian interior with the sea. Via the Tanzania Railways Corporation’s Link Line and Central Line, Tanga is linked to the African Great Lakes region and the Tanzanian economic capital of Dar es Salaam. The city is served by Tanga Airport. The harbour and surrounding is the centre of life in Tanga. It is stretched out several km² into the country. It has several markets in several neighborhoods.

Currency

TheBantu Swahililanguage and English, the latter of which was inherited from colonial rule (see Tanganyika Territory), are widely spoken as lingua francas.

Transport

The Tanga airport arrivals lounge.

Tanga has a small airport and is currently served by only two regional airlines Auric Air and Coastal Aviation providing scheduled services to Dar es Salaam, Pemba Island and Zanzibar. In 2014 the airport served less than 30,000 passengers There are also a small number of private airstrips in the surrounding area around the city that facilitate the private estates and surrounding industries.

Road connectivityTanga city lies 250 km from Chalinze on the A14 highway that runs from Chalinze to Mombasa. The Town is also 75 km away from Segera which is a junction linking the A14 and the B1. The B1 highway is a bypass that links Moshi and the northern corridor to Tanga.

Port of TangaThe port is historically the oldest operating harbour in the nation and its roots date back to around the 6th century. The Port of Tanga is the second largest port in Tanzania and is a vital part to the city’s initial development and economy. The port operates at 90% of its installed capacity and its main cargo is coal for the cement industry and is a new gate way for crude oil products. The Ports authority has major plans to upgrade the port increase capacity and provide an alternative route for cargo flowing into the country.

Weather

Due to close proximity to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences tropical climatic conditions similar to all Tanzanian coastal cities.The city experiences hot and humid weather throughout much of the year and has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen: Aw). Annual rainfall is approximately 1,290 mm (51 in), and in a normal year there are two rainy seasons: “the long rains” in April and May and “the short rains” in November and December.